Easy baked recipes of custard desserts to make and serve to guests

Forget cakes, how about simpler desserts that use custards wholeheartedly? Think of the likes of caramel custard desserts baked and delicious, with a melt-in-the-mouth quality. If that does not convince you to try these custard desserts or rather their recipes, we don’t know what will. Besides the creamy bowl-trapped desserts, there’s also an Australian specialty, whose name you’ll have to find out by scrolling a little. Happy baking!

1. Creme Brulee

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 475 ml heavy whipping cream
• 5 egg yolks
• 100 gm granulated sugar, plus extra for caramelizing
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C and while it heats, prepare the cream mixture.
2. Take a medium saucepan, and heat the heavy cream over medium heat, stirring frequently. When the cream is steaming and almost simmering, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and salt until well combined. Carefully drizzle the hot cream into the egg mixture, to avoid cooking the eggs, and whisk constantly to mix.
4. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup with a pouring spout.
5. Divide the strained custard evenly among six 120 ml ramekins. If using bigger ramekins, bake for five minutes extra. 
6. Place the ramekins in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Fill the baking dish with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
7. Bake at 150°C for 30-35 minutes, until the centers are nearly set with a slight jiggle.
8. Carefully remove ramekins from the water bath and place them on a wire rack to cool down.
9. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, 
10. Just before serving, sprinkle 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons of sugar evenly over each custard. Heat a spoon until hot and scorch the sugar all over, until golden brown. 

2. Vanilla Slice

Yield: 9 servings

Ingredients

• 2 sheets of store-bought puff pastry
• 250 ml whole milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 70 gm cornflour, adjust as per required thickness
• 60 gm custard powder
• 220 gm caster sugar
• 750 ml thickened cream
• 50 gm unsalted butter
• 3 egg yolks
• Caster sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 210°C, then line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, ensuring the foil extends over the sides.
2. Place each pastry sheet on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. 
3. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.  Once cooled, place one pastry sheet, cooked-side up, in the bottom of the prepared pan, and trim if necessary.
4. Warm the milk with split vanilla bean in a saucepan, over medium heat. Remove from heat and let the vanilla infuse the milk for 10 minutes.
5. Take a big saucepan, add cornflour, custard powder, and caster sugar. Strain the milk into it and whisk until smooth, then add the cream.
6. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Add butter and stir until combined.
7. Remove from heat and whisk in egg yolks one at a time until smooth.
8. Pour the custard over the pastry in the pan. Allow to cool slightly, then place the second pastry sheet on top, cooked-side up. Refrigerate overnight.
9. Using the foil overhang, carefully lift the dessert from the pan. Cut into squares and dust with icing sugar before serving.

3. Flan

Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

For the caramel:

• 150 gm granulated sugar
• 60 ml water

For the custard:

• 225 gm cream cheese, softened
• 5 eggs, room temperature
• 400 gm sweetened condensed milk
• 355 ml evaporated milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Pour water and sugar into a heavy saucepan, and heat over medium-low flame. Cook without stirring until the mixture turns golden, about 15 minutes. Brush down any sugar crystals that forms on the sides with a wet pastry brush.
2. Quickly pour the caramel into a two-liter round baking dish, tilting to coat the bottom. Let it stand for 10 minutes to harden.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C. While it heats, prepare the custard.
4. Take a large bowl, and beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla and mix until combined.
5. Pour the custard mixture over the hardened caramel in the baking dish. Then place the filled baking dish in a larger roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the larger pan to a depth of 2.5 cm.
6. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the center is just set but still jiggly.
7. Remove the flan from the water bath and place it on a wire rack to cool for 1 hour, then refrigerate overnight.
8. Once chilled, run a knife around the edge of the flan, to unmold. Then invert onto a large rimmed serving platter.
9. Cut into wedges or spoon onto dessert plates. 
10. Drizzle each serving of the Flan with the caramel sauce from the bottom of the dish.